Took pride in flopped movie, never complained; Real estate mogul's unexpected 'Casanovva' entry

Real estate mogul and builder C J Roy’s entry into the world of cinema was a story in itself. It was an unexpected affair. Film director Roshan Andrews was elated for two reasons. Mohanlal had given him a date, and his script work was completed. However, the movie titled ‘Casanovva’ demanded a budget unprecedented in Mollywood during those times. Roshan decided to give it a try, and after a long hunt for a producer, he landed up at the gates of Roy. The story seemed appealing to Roy, and a deal was signed.

Despite being a great script and filmed entirely in Dubai, the movie had a dull outing at the box office. Roy remained committed to creating good films and used to take pride in being the producer of 'Casanovva'.

Being part of the movie helped Roy strike a great camaraderie with superstar Mohanlal. At a time when the Malayalam industry was reeling in crisis during Covid, Roy financed the award-winning movie ‘Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea’, in which Mohanlal appeared in the lead role.

Tovino Thomas' film 'Identity' and Suresh Gopi's 'Mein Hoom Moosa' also came under the production partnership of C.J. Roy. His last production venture was ‘Anomie’ starring Bhavna in the titular character. The movie will be released in 2026.

CJ Roy shot himself to death in his Bengaluru office amidst an IT raid on Friday.